Residents urged to have their say on living in Chatham Court, Newark, to police and the council

Residents in an area of Newark are being urged to come forward and speak about the issues that

affect them most as part of an initiative to make the district Cleaner, Safer and Greener.

A drop-in session for residents of Chatham Court, Newark, has been organised by Newark Police and the district council to give residents the opportunity to get involved and help deal with issues of nuisance, fly-tipping, alleged drug use and anti-social behaviour.

The meeting has been designed to create a safe forum for residents to attend where they can talk, face-to-face and in confidence, to the council’s anti-social behaviour officers, housing officers from Newark and Sherwood Homes, local councillors and the police about their views and concerns.

It will also be a chance for residents to ask any other queries, such as regarding access to other council services and issues regarding waste collections.

Terry Bailey, anti-social behaviour officer at the council, said: “All residents are welcome to attend and together we can develop a strategy to address problems that they are experiencing.

“We recently spoke to one Chatham Court resident who said one reason why incidents aren’t reported is that people feel frightened of any comebacks as a result of doing so.

"We want to encourage Chatham Court residents to attend, get involved, offer their views and speak in

confidence about their experiences to give us an idea on where we can best focus our efforts.”

Sergeant Mike Taylor, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We are committed to providing a service

that works for local people, which we can only do through meaningful engagement with our communities.

“This is a great opportunity for residents of Chatham Court to let us know what concerns them in their area, so that we can work with the council to address those issues.

"In the process, we may be able to answer questions and allay fears about the reporting of incidents and the response that you can expect from ourselves and our partners.”

The session will be held at Millgate Community Centre, Pelham Street on Tuesday of next week between 4.30pm and 5.45pm.

Enforcement and safety is high on the agenda of the council’s Cleaner, Safer and Greener initiative, which was launched last year and the council continues to invest in measures to improve safety and

help minimise crime in the Newark and Sherwood.

The drop in session follows the council’s Report It campaign which is aimed at ensuring local people

report crime, anti-social behaviour or other matters of concern.

A number of other neighbourhood watch groups involving retailers, county and parish councils, have

already been set up by the district council, police and residents themselves, to provide an opportunity for residents to raise concerns over crime in communities including Balderton and Hawtonville in Newark.

Important contact details as part of the Report It campaign are available to encourage residents to report any issues at the earliest opportunity via the most appropriate avenue.

What are your experiences of Chatham Court. Contact the Advertiser on 01636 681234 or email news@newarkadvertiser.co.uk